An oxygen concentrator is configured to acquire oxygen by using a pressure swing adsorbing method that generates oxygen by using zeolite selectively adsorbing nitrogen by transmitting oxygen in raw air, as an adsorbent.
According to the oxygen concentrator using the method, introduced raw air is compressed by a compressor to generate compressed air and the compressed air is supplied to an adsorption column containing the adsorbent to separate oxygen by adsorbing nitrogen to the adsorbent. While the generated oxygen is stored in a tank, a predetermined flow of oxygen can be supplied from the tank through a pressure reducing valve or a flow setter to allow a patient to inhale oxygen by using a mechanism such as a nasal cannula, and the like.
When the oxygen concentrator is installed at a place where an AC power supply (utility AC power supply) can be used, for example, a domiciliary oxygen therapy patient having a deteriorated lung function can safely inhale oxygen even while sleeping to have a good sleep. In particular, when the domiciliary oxygen therapy patient uses the oxygen concentrator even while sleeping, the oxygen concentrator preferably operates very quietly. For example, noise of the oxygen concentrator is preferably equal to or less than a noise level generated from an indoor air-conditioning facility.
The oxygen concentrator used for a long-term oxygen inhalation therapy which is effective as a therapeutic method for a patient who suffers from respiratory disease, such as chronic bronchitis and the like, is generally not transportable and is not configured for the patient to take with them to go outside.
When the patient is forced to go outside, for example, the patient inhales concentrated oxygen from an oxygen bomb while pushing a cart mounted with the oxygen bomb in which oxygen is charged in a predetermined receiving reservoir. Oxygen needs to be charged in the oxygen bomb by using an exclusive facility. Therefore, a transportable or movable oxygen concentrator is proposed, and the transportable or movable oxygen concentrator includes a compressor that introduces raw air to generate compressed air and decompressed air (see Patent Literature 1).